Implementing Direct Instruction in Australian Schools
Good to Great Schools Australia partners with educators nationwide to improve teaching quality through Direct Instruction and explicit instruction. For more than a decade, our programs have helped schools build teacher capability, raise student achievement and deliver consistent results across classrooms.
Our mission is to develop great teachers delivering effective teaching, often using Direct Instruction programs.
We provide comprehensive support to schools, including professional learning, curriculum mapping and teaching resources.
Our goal is to ensure every teacher can confidently deliver direct teaching instruction that supports every learner – from early years to secondary school.
What Is Direct Instruction?
A structured, evidence-based teaching approach that ensures every student learns successfully.
Developed by Siegfried Engelmann in 1968, teaching combines explicit, systematic lessons with ongoing assessment and feedback.
This approach uses carefully sequenced lessons, teacher modelling, guided practice, and regular checks for understanding.
Students are grouped by ability rather than age, allowing teachers to meet individual needs and support progress for all learners.
Why Schools Choose Direct Instruction
The approach helps teachers deliver clear, consistent lessons and ensures all students – including those in regional and remote areas – receive a high-quality education.
Direct Instruction education supports:
- Students with diverse or additional learning needs.
- Teachers working in multi-grade or high-turnover environments.
- Schools striving for improved literacy and numeracy outcomes.
This method of explicit instruction provides teachers with proven lesson scripts, data-driven monitoring tools and structured materials to sustain improvement.
Showcasing Student Learning and Storytelling through Visual Arts
Discover how Visual Arts can become a powerful tool for student storytelling and celebration in your classroom.
Mapping Direct Instruction to the Australian Curriculum
Good to Great Schools Australia has worked with authors and education experts to align teaching programs to the Australian Curriculum for English and Maths.
Supplementary Curriculum
We also provide supplementary curriculum materials that adapt international content for Australian classrooms – for example, converting U.S. references to local Australian contexts.
Student Progress Tool for Spelling Mastery
Spelling Mastery Toolkit
Explore the ultimate Spelling Mastery toolkit, designed to centralise all the essential resources in one convenient location.
This comprehensive suite empowers Australian school teams—including principals, instructional coaches, teachers, and teaching assistants—to consistently enhance the implementation of Spelling Mastery across the school to ensure maximum student success.
Direct Instruction to Support Special Education
Our resources for Direct Instruction education also extend to special education. We provide tools and training to help teachers deliver explicit direct instruction for students with additional learning needs, ensuring they can thrive in mainstream and support classrooms alike.
'The Power of Direct Instruction' Webinar with Noel Pearson
In June 2024, Noel Pearson presented a compelling webinar on Direct Instruction. Hosted by McGraw Hill Australia in collaboration with Good to Great Schools Australia (GGSA), the event was titled The Power of Direct Instruction and featured insights from GGSA’s founder and director, Noel Pearson.
If you’re interested, members can view the webinar recording or register for a free membership to access it here.
Browse Oz-e-science and other subject curriculum resources to complement English and Maths programs.
Discover School Improvement Resources and Tools to enhance all effective teaching including Direct Instruction programs.
Explore our Oz-e-maths Top Ups and Swap Outs teaching resources to cover the few sections not covered by the Australian Curriculum.
Direct Instruction Program Modules
- Teach Connecting Math Concepts A-F
- Teach Spelling Mastery A-F
- Teach Reading Mastery Signature Edition K – 5
- Teach Reading Mastery Signature Edition; Language Arts K-5
- Teach Corrective Reading Decoding A-C
- Teach Corrective Reading Comprehension A-C
- Teach DISTAR K
- Teach Reading Mastery Transformations 4-5 Language
- Teach Corrective Mathematics
- Teach Expressive Writing
- Teach Essential Algebra 6+
Direct Instruction Practice Modules
- Practice Administer Program Assessments
- Practice Use Signals
- Practice Provide Positive Praise and Affirmations
- Practice Remediate and Retest
- Practice Address Specific Group Errors
- Practice Check for Mastery
- Practice Administer Independent Work
- Practice Use Individual Turns
- Practice Set Up Classroom for Teaching
- Practice Use Positive Motivation Strategies
- Practice Apply Improvement and Mastery
- Practice Engage Students in Learning
- Practice Model Student Responses
- Practice Note Responses to Check for Mastery
- Practice Apply Evidence-Based Learnings
- Practice Produce Accurate and Timely Data
- Practice Set Targets and Actions
